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40.31 - Tree Memorial and Recognition Program

Last updates October 14, 2014

A. General. The University of Idaho recognizes the value of a campus well endowed with healthy and vibrant trees and recognizes the importance of honoring university patrons, groups, events, and organizations by creating opportunities for trees and plaques to be placed in memorial or recognition of those who/which have promoted and fostered the success of the university. This program provides the process by which trees can be planted in honor of a patron, group, or organization and the act acknowledged by a plaque placed at the foot of the tree.

A-1. Eligible Participants. Persons, groups, events, or organizations directly affiliated with the University of Idaho or its established traditions, may be so honored on the grounds of the university, Moscow campus.

A-2. Tree Memorial/Recognition Plaque Requests. Requests for a memorial or recognition plaque for placement near a recently established or newly planted campus landscape tree [3 inches or less in trunk caliper size] are reviewed by the Memorial/Recognition Review Committee. [Note: Arboretum and golf course locations are excluded.] Our standard bronze plaque is 5 inches by 10 inches. Text selections for the plaque must follow UI standards and guidelines concerning content, titles, font, and punctuation. Tree Memorial/Recognition Request forms [See online request form] are also available from the Facilities Landscape Department at (208) 885-6734 or landscape@uidaho.edu. [ed. 10-14]

A-3. Tree Selections. The UI Landscape Department at Facilities provides a “Tree List” of appropriate tree species/cultivars/sizes, for consideration and selection and will order the tree(s) upon selection and payment. Tree types chosen from this list are preferred, but others may be requested by the donor, subject to approval by the Landscape Department. [rev. 10-14]

A-4. Site or Planting Locations. The UI Landscape Department at Facilities will offer one or more appropriate planting sites for consideration to the requestor(s). These sites are selected on the basis of future construction, species needs, soil types, and growth area needed for the tree(s). Tree location near a particular building or area will be considered upon request, but if these spaces are filled or inappropriate, the Landscape Department will determine acceptable alternate sites or species. [ed. 10-14]

A-5. Fee for Selected Memorial/Recognition Tree and Plaque. The fee for a Memorial/Recognition tree and plaque is $2,500. This fee covers the cost of the tree, the plaque, and the installation of each. Long term care will be provided by the university. Remaining funds will be placed into the UI Tree and Shrub Endowment fund. This fund is dedicated to the purchase of new and replacement trees and shrubs to enhance the university campus landscape and will be used to replace a memorial/recognition tree, should it perish prematurely. Larger specimen trees may be selected and planted on campus, but cost and survivability risks are considerably higher. The prices for planting a larger caliper specimen tree are assessed for each individual request by the Landscape Department. [rev. 1-08]

A-6. Tree Memorial/Recognition Plaque Archives. Trees have a natural life span, usually between 25 and 100 years. When a Memorial/Recognition tree reaches the end of its natural life on the UI campus, it will be removed. At this time the plaque will also be removed and placed in the Archives of the University of Idaho, unless another individual, group, or organization wishes to sponsor a new Memorial/Recognition tree to be located with the plaque. This process allows for continuing opportunities for new Memorial/Recognition trees to be placed on campus in perpetuity, while maintaining a record of all those honored in the past. [ed. 10-14]

A-7. Tree Groves and Preserved Open Spaces. The UI landscape is a relatively mature landscape with few remaining places for a Memorial/Recognition grove or grouping of trees. Many open spaces on campus are in a “preserved” status to maintain the open pastoral quality of campus for future generations of students. Some of the identified sites include: Administration Lawn areas; Academic Mall (from Shattuck Arboretum to the Student Recreation Center); Commons Green; and other highly used and valued open areas. Tree planting will not occur in these areas. Groves or groupings of trees are reserved for university wide events, initiatives, or goals, rather than for individual persons. A grove/group must contain a minimum of three (3) trees. Cost is $1,000/tree in the grove or group, and only one plaque will represent the particular grove/group. [rev. 10-14]

A-8. Garden and Planting Bed Sites. It is also possible to dedicate niche spaces on campus for Dedication or Memorial Plantings. Small gardens or planting beds (under 200 square feet in area) that occur around campus at various sites may be used for such purposes. These types of sites may include one (1) small tree and/or a mix of shrubs and perennials.

i) The guidelines for these types of dedicated areas follow the tree memorial guidelines, with an exception; due to the increased labor maintenance the fee for these types of plantings is $3,000. [Note: The lifespan of a shrub/garden area is much shorter than that of a tree. Other environmental impacts of these areas can also greatly influence the growth and health of the plant materials selected. Since our primary goal is to maintain a beautiful campus, removal of non-successful plants and replanting of more tolerant plants in any dedicated area remains an option available to the UI Landscape Division.] [rev. 10-14]